How To Sex A Bearded Dragon? | Gender Identification 2024

When you get a young bearded dragon, the most important thing is to find the sex of the reptilian because you need to design their diet and ensure that you provide the most suitable for each gender. Do you know how to sex a bearded dragon? If not, then you are at the right place.

It is hard to find out the gender of bearded dragons and many other animals. However, there are numerous indicators and ways in which you can understand the sex of your pet. We have listed why ways to sex the bearded dragon and they will work for you even when the bearded dragons are not adults.

Five Ways To Sex The Bearded Dragon

Finding out the gender of bearded dragons means to sex them. While it is easier to sex adult bearded dragons, you can find the gender of younger dragon pets too. However, try these five ways to sex a bearded dragon.

The Hemipenal Bulges

Bearded dragons may develop bulges by the age of nine months to one year. These hemipenal bulges show that there are reproduction organs active, and these bulges indicate that the male bearded dragon has developed internal sex organs. These bulges will be on the underside of the tail. However, make sure that your pet is at ease and is not uncomfortable or anxious otherwise they have a way of constricting their bulge and since they become stiff, it can be hard to understand whether the bulge is there or not!

When you hold your bearded dragon with both hands, you can gently pull the dragon’s tail upwards. Two vertical bulges will appear under the tail, where the torso begins. This indicates that the bearded dragon is male. However, if there is one vertical bulge in the center, then the dragon is female.

FlashLighting

When you use a flashlight, a very subtle scan of the bearded dragon is possible. The skin of this reptile is such that it appears to be translucent when you use a flashlight to focus on its body and look at it from the opposite side. The flashlight will make it clear to pet owners if their bearded dragon is male or female. The flashlight effect helps understand the difference between males and females without putting your dragon pet through a difficult time.

Femoral Pores

The femoral pores allow bearded dragons to secrete pheromones. This compound is secreted for breeding and social activities that make the bearded dragon interact with other members of the species. The male bearded dragon will have larger pores and the females will have smaller pores. These femoral pores are present on the back of the thigh and legs. If you look closely, they look like small circles running down the back of their legs. Female bearded dragons have smaller femoral pores because they do not feel breeding urges, or even socializing urges.

Behavior

This one is a subtle yet important way of assessing gender. Bearded dragons behave according to their gender and if you observe closely you will be able to tell if it’s a girl or a boy. Male bearded dragons have a more dominating and aggressive nature. They walk around and even look at other bearded dragons as if they rule the place! However, the female bearded dragon is no less than a lady as her movements are smooth and the way they behave is very submissive. You may have noticed that your bearded pet is an attention seeker, if yes, it has to be male!

Not that females don’t seek attention, but they have different ways. The head bobbing, hissing, and digging in distress will be from the male bearded dragon. Furthermore, the female bearded dragons tend to rest at particular times and the male dragons have a more energetic nature as their physical activity is higher.

If you have a female and male bearded dragon together, the female is the one who waves its arms as a sign of submission while the male will bob its head as a sign of dominance. This behavior streak is so clear that owners can tell without any scientific proof about the gender of their pet dragon.

Cloacal Opening

The size of the cloacal opening, or the point under the tail from where the bearded dragons defecate or urate, can tell the gender. Males have larger cloacal openings than females. However, when females lay eggs, it is also from this opening. This indication is not the best one because you cannot tell the relevance of size. This means that you cannot tell if the opening is large or small unless you have a comparison. You will be able to identify the bearded dragons by all the other methods quite clearly at all stages. Furthermore, you can have a look at How To Tell The Gender of A Bearded Dragon for better understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my dragon a male if it gets angry and scratches us?

Scratching can be a sign of aggression from females as well as males. If you are looking for ways to know if your pet dragon is male or female, then the gestures that show the gender more obviously are head bobbing and hissing. If your dragon pet gets angry and hisses or bobs its head at another dragon, it means it is showing dominance and is a male bearded dragon.

How important is it to know the sex of the dragon?

It is essential to know the gender because then you will be able to care for the dragon accordingly. Male dragons reach maturity at eight months of age and need to breed soon. Similarly, female dragons play eggs and require more calcium during this period. It is always good to know the gender of your dragon-it also helps in naming them!

Conclusion

It is essential for pet owners to know how to sex bearded dragons so that they can know when to expect milestones like breeding, laying eggs, and even plan nutritional requirements according to gender and maturity. If you do not know how to find out the gender, you can try any of the ways discussed here.